Adoption Specialist- Manatee

Do you want to make a difference in the life of a child? We are the Sarasota Safe Children Coalition. Guided by a mission “to protect children, strengthen families, and build community,” we provide:

• foster parent recruitment, training and licensure.
• adoptions.
• foster care.
• protective supervision and voluntary family services.

Our service area includes DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.

SUMMARY

The Adoption Specialist (AS) works directly with children who are legally free for adoption or those that are intended to be legally free for adoption in the coming months. The AS strives to meet the goal of legal permanency by required timeframe of 24 months from removal. This includes recruiting homes for waiting children, conducting home studies and child assessment studies, determining the strengths and needs of adoptive families and children, matching waiting children with adoptive families, preparing children and families for the adoption process, providing support and guidance through the process, coordinating subsidy, and facilitating legal finalization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Conduct in-depth home study interviews with adoptive applicants while observing familial interactions and behaviors. General areas for exploration include: motivation to adopt, circumstances of application, social history of each adoptive applicant, interview with children in the home who are old enough to express themselves verbally, marital/relationship history, philosophies on child rearing, expectations of the child, employment, and educational history, complete exploration of local, state, FBI, FAHIS background check and history, finances, health, and areas of special concern. Draft document.
• Draft in-depth child studies including, but not limited to: complete physical description of child, developmental and birth and delivery information on child, complete hereditary and birth family history, reason(s) for coming into out-of-home care, full psychological, medical, and educational history, statement regarding current psychological, medical, and educational needs, chronology of all placements and number of moves, child's preparation for adoption, Information for this document is to come from a complete review of the child's dependency file, interviews/collateral contacts with foster parents, service providers, GAL, and former caregivers, interview with the child (if old enough). Document is to be given to adoptive family and should not include identifying birth family information.
• Place every child on the Adoption Exchange System within 30 days after court order terminating parental rights is signed. Web-authorize children who are in identified homes, and place these children on AdoptUSKids and other mandated websites in order to recruit for adoptive homes.

A comprehensive benefits program including:

• 5 weeks of PTO accruals available during the first year of employment
• 13 paid holidays
• Professional development
• Ongoing coaching and feedback
• Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”)

Health Benefits with shared premium costs, including:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life
• Short-term disability
• Long-term disability
• 401(k) retirement

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Training Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a human services field from an accredited university or college and one year related post bachelor degree experience, or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in human services and two years post bachelor’s degree experience.
• Must obtain Florida Child Welfare Certification within 12 months from date of successful completion of Pre-Service Post Test. Candidates must successfully complete the State Certified training and exam; a structured period of observation in and out of the office, including home and field visits. Candidate will be observed by Quality Assurance Specialist, Direct Supervisor, and Lead Agency Job Coach during the certification process. Must also complete the prescribed re-certification requirements every two years, as well as annual trainings mandated by the agency.
• • Complete a minimum of 40 hours of in-service training each full year of employment. The in-service training must include but not be limited to, indicators of child abuse; neglect and abandonment; substance abuse; community resources; independent living; and other topics related to child welfare.
• • Complete agency web-based courses business as part of agency orientation.

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations: This position requires the following credentials:

• Florida Certification Board Child Welfare Certificate
• Valid driver’s license in good standing.